I have to confess that I’ve never been completely in love with Your Best Face Control ($160 in the TIA shop) and so I was excited to see that it has been reformulated – and in a most intelligent way. It no longer relies so much on peptides that inhibit expression lines and it has introduced two very interesting ingredients with a focus that may help sagging skin.

The first is tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric urea trifluoroacetate. I admit that I’ve seen dinosaurs with friendlier appellations, but you’ll want to get to know it anyway. It is a tripeptide that thankfully is marketed under the simpler name of Syn-Hycan. Specifically, it is aimed at lifting sagging skin. It stimulates hyaluronan (HA) synthesis and expression of the proteoglycans, decorin and lumican.

The company that makes it tested it on women women aged 56 to 65 years with loose skin on face and forearms and claims that it “induced a significant decrease in sagging and face volume in 74% of the subjects after 56 days of twice-daily use” and that after 84 days there was “a significant decrease in the double chin was observed in 58% of subjects”.

The other new key active in YBF Control is Relistase (the equally intimidating sounding acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine). This is actually a tripeptide and inhibits elastase activity and boosts collagen 1 synthesis. It has also been designed to treat sagginess and restore firmness to the skin. I haven’t found any independent studies but the manufacturer claims that women around the age of 49 saw a 14% improvement in overall elasticity within 8 weeks.

Update: Read my review of the new Control.

Ingredients: reverse osmosis water, Relistase (glycerin, acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine, Syn-Hycan (tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric urea trifluoroacetate, magneisum chloride, glycerin), Syn-Tacks (glycerin, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminobutyroyl hydroxythreonine, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminohydroxybutyrate), Matrixyl 3000 (glycerin, butylene glycol, carbomer, polysorbate-20, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tripeptide-3), nylon-12, olivem, Renovage (triglyceride, teprenone), olive squalane, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, ethoxydiglycol, dimethylisosorbide, meadowfoam seed oil, trans resveratrol, spin trap (phenyl butyl nitrone), vitamin e, c10-c30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, leucidal, lipochroman-6, sodium hyaluronate, coenzyme Q10, tetrahydrocurcuminoids, alpha lipoic acid (R-lipoic acid), trithanolamine

Old formula: Reverse osmosis water, Snap-8 (water, acetyl octapeptide-3), Syn-Tacks (glycerin, palmitoyl dipeptide-5, diaminobutyroyl hydroxythreonine, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminohydroxybutyrate), Leuphasyl (water, glycerin, pentapeptide-18, caprylyl glycol), ppg5 ceteth-20, Matrixyl 3000 (glycerin, butylene glycol, water, carbomer, polysorbate-20, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3), cyclomethicone, nylon-12, ascorbyl tetaisopalmitate (vitamin C), dimethylisosorbide, jojoba, spin trap (phenyl butyl nitrone), vitamin e, c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, sodium hyaluronate, Lipochroman-6 (dimethylmethoxy chromanol), idebenone, alpha lipoic acid, polysorbate-20, triethanolamine, paraben du